


The Pretender Next Door

by bucciaratissun



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Idiots in Love, Lies, Reader Needs a Hug, RomCom AU, Steve is there to help
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-25
Updated: 2020-05-26
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:54:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24363127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bucciaratissun/pseuds/bucciaratissun
Summary: Lying is despicable, but nothing beats the humiliation of pretending you have a lovely boyfriend when, in fact, you have none. Could your handsome neighbor help you, though?
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Reader
Comments: 14
Kudos: 42





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first non-dark!story in YEARS, guys! It's inspired by all those romcoms with Chris Evans I watched yesterday. 
> 
> As always, I'd be happy to see your feedback. And, of course, thanks for your kudos <3  
> Feel free to visit [my tumblr](http://giorno-plays-piano.tumblr.com) if you want to discuss anything related to Steve, Bucky and other Marvel characters!

They say that moving is one of the big causes of stress. You would agree, indeed, standing in the corridor and keeping the door open for the guys from relocation service. Now they were carrying your white drawer chest, and the moment you felt pity for them, sweaty and tired. You didn’t look any better, though.

Sometimes you still wondered why you decided to move to New York, of all places. You couldn’t stay a day more in Key West, but there were many more locations you could choose. Why New York? You had always hated huge cities, the terrible noise from busy streets, subway trains stuffed with people, and dirty fast food restaurants with rats in the kitchens. Yes, this job you were offered looked nice and was well-paid, but you could find the other one. Why New York?

Maybe because you craved to change your life so much you didn’t want any half measures. Anyway, you were free to move again if anything would not go as you expected it to, right?

“Thank you,” you said awkwardly when the guys put the drawer where you showed them.

“So, we’re almost done.” One of them wiped the sweat from his brow and tilted his head. “There’s just one bookcase left.”

“Yeah, thanks.”

They went into the corridor while you stayed inside your new apartment, looking on the white walls and a big open window in your living room. In fact, this window was the reason you chose this place, full of light and fresh air. The building wasn’t new, and the neighborhood didn’t look very pretty but it was more or less safe. Besides, subway was relatively close meaning it would not be hard to get to your new job. You sighed. What were you doing with your life? Where were you going? Did you actually want to have a new job? Could you handle being away from the place you loved and hated the most? The place you called home for more than 20 years.

You stepped into the corridor again and opened greyish door, thinking about scrubbing and washing it with a soap right after moving the furniture. Maybe then you would go and have a bath yourself: you looked awful, tired after a long trip, no makeup, your hair in a loose bun. Not that you cared, anyway. You were not expecting any guests today or, in fact, in any other day. You did not know a soul in New York.

Apparently, you forgot there were still people around you. When you snapped out of your thoughts, you suddenly saw a tall guy with blonde hair and a breathtaking smile. He had probably said something that you missed, but the only thing you did in return was bumping your back against that greyish door of yours. Damn. He wasn’t even intimidating or scary – on the contrary, the stranger looked like that pretty boy from a typical romcom – yet you backed away like a coward instead of introducing yourself.

“Oh, I’m so sorry!” The guy apologized immediately, obviously concerned with making you uncomfortable. “Did I startle you? I’m really sorry!”

“No, no, it’s alright.” You felt deeply ashamed. The stranger belonged to the type of guys you never talked to; to be honest, he was the type you never even looked upon, too handsome and glowing like a giant sun. “I’m sorry for spacing out like that. It’s my fault. Please don’t mind me, I’m probably gonna be your weirdest neighbor.

”Your weirdest neighbor? Is this what you were really ought to say to a guy like him? Like, seriously, girl?

“Ah, I doubt it. We have a guy who sing songs from Bridget Jones Diary every Friday and a woman who wants to marry a tree.” God, his smile was contagious, and you involuntarily grinned when he let out laugh. “I’m Steve. I live right next door to you.”

“My name is Y/N. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Steve.” You finally relaxed a bit and tried to be friendly with the first person you met in New York. “Sorry about this, I’m not very social and I can be a bit awkward. But I don’t know any songs from Bridget Jones and I only have platonic feelings for trees.”

“Then I’m sorry to say you lost your chance to be the weirdest! Didn’t expect a competition here, did you?”

Now you were really laughing loud at his words. Steve had a nice sense of humor, and he was seemingly enjoying your reaction. Well, maybe moving here wasn’t as bad as you thought? You had at least one very good-looking neighbor who was friendly enough to go and have a small chat with you. 

Oh, who you were trying to kid? A pretty guy living next door probably meant you were going to have many sleepless nights because of all the girls he would fuck right behind the wall of your room. Steve looked like a movie star with his broad shoulders, tout body and that gleaming white smile of his. He was literally radiating disarming masculinity in his white t-shirt and simple blue jeans as you stared at him, now feeling a bit bashful. 

You were ready to kiss two guys carrying your bookshelf once they broke the silence with their heavy panting. Both Steve and you hurriedly moved to the sides of the corridor to give them more space. 

“I wanted to ask if you need any help.” Your neighbor was smiling again. “You know, if you decide to move your bed or drawer from one wall to another, anything like that.”

“Oh, thank you, but I’m ok, guys are almost d…”

With that you heard a loud bang and an instant cursing: the bookshelf they were holding suddenly slipped from the arms of one of the guys, and the second one was forced to drop the bookshelf too. Horrified, you watched how it fell to the floor and broke down with several shelves flying to the carpet in your hallway. God, something just had to go wrong.

“Shit.” One of the guys groaned. “My hand slipped. I’m sorry, miss.”

“I’m gonna fucking kill you, Jake!” The other one was nearly screaming at him. “What the Hell?! _Slipped?_ Do you know you practically threw this thing at me?!”

“Pat, I’m sorry, I mean… Dammit, what are we gonna do now?

”You bit down on your lip and came closer to look at the damage. Apparently, you would need to find someone who could repair your bookshelf now or go straight to Ikea. More expenses. Great.

“Well, at least you’re unharmed.” You sighed and tried to smile, still thinking of who you should even call for fixing furniture. “As for the bookshelf, it’s ok, I’ll think of something. I’m not going to call the company, don’t worry.”

They were gone in five minutes after numerous awkward apologies and many thank you’s, and then you realized Steve was still there, standing silently on the very same spot. For some reason you felt guilty. Did he feel obliged to stay because of your little incident? Did you have to say something? Well, as a matter of fact, you did, but what there was to say? _“Sorry, man, please come back when I’ll get my shit together?”_

When you spaced out again, your handsome neighbor came closer and squatted down near your unfortunate bookshelf, taking one of the pieces of the wood into his hands. “You know, I think it’s really easy to fix these ones. If you want, I can grab my tools and do it right now.”

God, now you really hoped Steve would bring tons of girls to his apartment. He got to have some flaws, didn’t he?


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, I'd be happy to see your feedback. And, of course, thanks for your kudos <3

It went better you thought it would. Your colleagues were mostly friendly and open, your work environment seemed both interesting and challenging enough, and living in the new apartment was comfortable and pretty peaceful. Well, that man from the 5th floor was singing songs from Bridget Jones Diary on Friday mornings really loudly, but you were an early bird, so you didn’t care, truly.

You hadn’t seen Steve much, though it was more an advantage rather than not. He wasn’t bringing any girls into his apartment, and it really bothered you. Worse, he wasn’t bringing any boys either. Your last hope was that Steve belonged to some kind of swingers club or something and had orgies in a different place.

Swingers club? Damn, girl. This man was making you crazy.

You did your best to forget about that perfection of a man living next door. You needed to build your life from scratch in this mad city of New York, and having relationships now was not on your list. In fact, it had never been.

One busy month had already passed when you got a chance to talk to Steve again. You were stepping inside the elevator, tired after work. Next week you were organizing a big holiday party for employees, and things were going more and more stressful with each day. It turned out that way more people had allergies they didn’t state previously, most of them new employees like you, and you had to adjust the menu; then that band your VP of Marketing wanted to have suddenly asked more money than you discussed before, and…

Well, event planning was always like that. Why complaining now when you spend all those years in college and then decided to move to NY? It was predictable. What was unpredictable was you lying to your married colleagues that you had a boyfriend. Why on Earth did you say that? Yes, it was a bit embarrassing to be the only woman who wasn’t in a relationship, but did you ultimately have to lie about it? It was so stupid and childish. Surely, there were more than one single woman in New York.

Anyway, you had a bottle of white wine and Netflix movies waiting for you at home. You would deal with everything else later, including your imaginary boyfriend.

“Wait, please!”

You snapped out of your thoughts and immediately pressed a button to leave the doors open, and the next second Steve almost flew inside the elevator. Oh, was he just in front of you and you hadn’t seen him again? Seriously, you needed to put yourself together.

“Hello.” You smiled a bit shyly and pressed another button to get the elevator moving. 

He looked as handsome as always in his dark blue jacket and… oh God, he could wear nothing at all and still looked like a prince. No clothes at all would be far more preferable…

“Hello.” His glowing smile made it hard to keep your eyes off his face.

Nonono, just stop staring and keep your eyes down. You had enough things on your plate already, there was no place left for a giant sun named Steve Rogers who would indeed burn you to ashes the same second you decide to come closer. 

“So, are we going the same floor?” He suddenly asked. Wait, did he forget you literally lived next door?

“Um, yes.”

Steve scratched the back of his head; for a few seconds he seemed lost in thought. You decided to drop it. Maybe he had a bad memory or something.

“Oh, I get it, you probably visiting my new neighbor.” He just grinned through those perfectly white teeth.

 _What?_ Did he already forget he spent at least half an hour in your hallway repairing your bookshelf? Just how bad was his memory if he didn’t recognize your face, for God’s sake? Well, anyway, if you wanted him to have a flaw, you had to be happy he got one. Better than being a secret swinger, wasn’t it?

“Actually, I _am_ your new neighbor.” You let out an awkward laugh and stared at your pretty kitten heels shoes you bought before leaving Key West. Why were you upset? You just thought about not getting into relationship with anyone. Besides, you doubted you had a chance to date Steve Rogers even if New York’s female population would be five times smaller its actual size.

Lost in your thoughts again, you missed his immediate change of expression, his face completely red with embarrassment and shame. 

“God, I’m an idiot with a fish’s memory span.” He groaned and looked somewhere up, shutting his eyes for a few seconds. “I’m so sorry! I mean, of course I remember you, Y/N, it just, ugh, you know… you just look a bit different and… Jesus Christ, I’m gonna say something stupid again, aren’t I?.. Just, ugh, sorry.”

With the guilt all over his pretty face he reminded you of a puppy who ate someone’s shoe, and you chuckled. It wasn’t as bad as you though, he still remembered your name. It was true you were different comparing to the day he met you – you were wearing way more makeup, including bright lipstick, to look older for your colleagues who were in their 40s and 50s. You also had a nice New Look black dress, and your hair were curled. Although you did not expect to look so different to others, maybe Steve simply didn’t take a closer look at your face that time?

And you could still take it as his flaw. Not bad enough, but still something!

“Don’t worry, you only saw me two times in your life.” You laughed it off and stepped out of the elevator once the doors were open. “Now if you see here a grumpy old woman with Ikea bags please remember the way I looked today.”

Steve followed you into a narrow corridor and burst out laughing, his face slowly losing its funny redness. You suspected he still felt kind of guilty, but he tried to keep it cool when you bid him goodbye and entered your apartment. 

Thinking of any other possible flaws he might have, you took off your shoes and threw you bag on the comfy grey sofa in the middle of the room. You were finally home. Now you could change into your favorite blue pajamas and fluffy slippers, take off your makeup and have some good time watching your favorite romcoms. Although you didn’t have anything for dinner, you could easily order something like a nice pizza or lasagna from that family-owned pizzeria around the corner. 

The next hour you spent in a tub, washing away your worries. One was still there though: what were you supposed to do with your imaginary boyfriend? Your biggest issue was that your colleagues asked you to bring him to the party. Of course, they thought it was a nice gesture since they often brought their own husbands and boyfriends, but now they just made your life way more difficult. Even if you could say your boyfriend got sick or something at the day of the event, what then? Thankfully, no one demanded to see your photos yet, but they could. And they might ask you to bring him to dinners they had altogether sometimes, and God knows what else. 

You were stupid enough to make up some super romantic story about a perfect guy any girl would like to date. It was embarrassing to think of it now, but you definitely got affected by the marriage stories of your colleagues who spent the whole lunch hour talking about their lovely husbands. Your problem was you tried to fit in too much.

Well, you probably had to come up with something about breaking up once you moved to NY. Funny, because your “boyfriend” was living here and waiting for you for a year to come over and transform your long-distance relationships into something bigger. Hell, you even said you might marry him. Why were you so careless? Why did your colleagues’ opinions matter so much?

You sighed, putting on an old black hoodie. You were hopeless.

Then you heard the doorbell rang and frowned. You were not expecting anyone since you didn’t order your pizza yet.

You hurried to the door in your slippers and put your hair into a ponytail on the way. It was around 8 pm. Who could it be? Did someone just mistake your apartment for someone’s else? You knew your aunt wasn’t coming without telling you first, and no one else knew where you moved to. 

But you opened the door, and you found glowing Steve there with a plate in his hands. You were so stunned you just kept standing there until you heard him snicker. Wait, what? Steve? Did he need to borrow anything? Why was he here?

“H-hi Steve. Please, come in.” You stepped back awkwardly to let him go inside and saw him smiling even wider once he spotted your fluffy blue slippers. Could it get even more humiliating than that?

“Hi there. I’ve actually come to apologize properly for the… well, you know.” He almost looked like he was blushing a bit. “And I brought you a lemon pie. Although I baked it myself, I swear it’s not poisonous!”

Great, your absolutely perfect blue-eyed neighbor with blond hair and a winning smile was so nice he brought you a homemade pie. Girl, you were losing it. Maybe he was a serial killer instead of a swinger? It would make sense, indeed. Maybe it wasn’t wise touching this pie? Damn, you hoped he tried to kill you instead of just being nice, because Steve was clearly out of this world.

“I mean… not like baked it the way my mother did… more like googling an easy recipe online and putting everything I found into an instant pot…” 

You were ready to slap yourself when you saw Steve fidgeting nervously in the hallway. You had to keep your lovely neighbor out of your mind.

“Thank you so much.” Taking the plate from his huge warm hands you felt your body temperature rising. “But you didn’t have to do that. There’s nothing to be sorry about!”

“No, I was being stupid and…”

“Well, whatever. Just come here and share this pie with me so I can check if it’s poisonous or not.” You tried your best to make a joke out of it and laughed, nodding towards the kitchen. “I can make either tea or coffee. What would you prefer? Um, if you’d like to stay, of course.”

“Only if you don’t mind the guy who couldn’t recognize his own neighbor.” 

You spent the next hour chatting about anything and everything. Even though you had never been talkative with people you barely knew, Steve had seemed so trustworthy and friendly you were not able to stop. He talked a lot too, telling you more about himself, claiming he was “just a kid from Brooklyn.” He didn’t finish his university degree because of some financial issues and was now working in an auto repair shop. He still wanted to return to engineering, though, but the only jobs he was offered were some unpaid internships and things like that. And he also played guitar. And he had just finished renovating his own apartment.

The only flaw you found was his issue with keeping the rooms clean as he was overly impressed with your place and how tidy it was. Well, it was something.

Then you had somehow told him about your work, new company, colleagues, the event, and… and that imaginary boyfriend of yours. When you realized you complained about your silly lies, it was already late. Steve was biting his lips not to laugh. Oh, great. Now he was thinking how pitiful you were, pretending to have someone in order to gain some respect from your new coworkers. What kind of girl would say these things to a man like him? You were clearly out of your mind. The only good thing about it was that Steve would probably walk out of your apartment and never come back again.

“Please don’t think I’m laughing at you. It’s… a bit funny, I mean, that you think there’s nothing you could do with your issue.” He grinned at you, almost pouting like a little baby. “Think of it, you just need to ask some guy you know to pretend he’s your boyfriend. Ask him to come with you to this holiday event, and then some time later you can say you broke up with him.”

For a minute you fell silent, staring at the guy in front of you with wide eyes.

“Wait, but I don’t know anyone here. I can’t merely go to anyone on the street and ask him to do this for me, right?”

“Well, for starters, you know _me_.”


End file.
